• 1.0 The key aspects of how an airline can define its customer service aims and customer service values
• 1.1 Analyse critically the links between customer focus and organisational values, vision and objectives
• Customer service and value remain to be the most essential aspects that businesses offering services should focus on addressing if the business has any expectation of surviving in the market. Customer focus as a major aspect of customer satisfaction in service delivery entails the interaction that exists between the customers and the organization as well as the product pre-sale, during the sale process and post-sale, generally what determine the quality of organization as from the view point of the customers (Miller & Miller, 2007, p.1). The major aspects which determine customer service and level in the organization include mission, vision, and objectives of the organizations. Organizational values are the standards which guide or control the behaviors of the members of the organization towards executing the tasks and activities of the organization in the right manner (Rhoades & Covey, 2011, p.10).

• 1.2Analyze customer expectations and preferences in the context of organizations’ service offer

• An organization vision entails an inspirational description of what the organization would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term in future (Drori & Landau, 2011, p.15). Zeta air in this case needs to understand the requirements and expectations of customers in order to effectively and appropriately reach for the strategies which will help customer service values and aims. Many organizations nevertheless fail to consider customer service and value as important aspects thus ending up with poor customer satisfaction. In order to clearly understand the requirements of the customer or effective customer service, a market research in this case is essential to provide the management with feedback on what the customers need as well as how they perceive the services they get from the airline company. market research does not necessarily be conducted through physical communication but this can be a survey or even maximize the opportunity if the new technology thus setting up website or social sites which customers can post their comment and views on the level of service facilitated by the organization. Defining customer aims requires the management to define the mission and vision statement which revolve around customer satisfaction. The mission and vision statements connect the members of the organization with the expectations or the objectives set and what need to be achieved. The organizations which have seen success especially in terms of attracting and sustaining customers have implemented a strong mission and vision which lead the meeting the requirements of the customers.

• 1.3Explain the connections between customer service strategy and an organization’s market positioning

• Aspects of customer service and value also involve clarification of the issues which seem to be dilemma to the clients. For instance, considering the fact that the organization is based on customer service in the air industry the management needs to ensure that the customers are clearly directed on the departure and arrivals of the planes in the required manner. The aspects that govern customer satisfaction include quality of services and the price. The management needs to carry out a review of the organizations strategy in terms of service quality and determine whether the prices of the services are comparable with the level of quality (Ferrell & Hartline, 2014, p.58).

• 1.4 Analyze how financial performance and business growth imperatives impact on customer service strategies

• Customer value on the other hand describes the manner in which the organization is committed in providing the measures to ensure that customer retention has been reached in the organization. Generally, similarly to the aspects which determine the level of customer satisfaction for the customers, the same aspects determine or influence the manner in which the customer value is perceived in the organization mostly especially due to the fact that the company is purely or entirely based on customer services.

• 1.5 Compare the importance of customer retention and one-off customer satisfaction when sustaining and developing competitive advantage

• Customer value is an aspect that unless the organization has incorporated most effective measures to reach or focus customer satisfaction, it cannot be achieved. Further the management of the organization needs to ensure that the values of the organization rhyme or are consistent with the values customer value. For instance, when redefining the mission and vision of the organization, the management of the organization should reach for the measures which not only focus on developing the organization but also focusing on the welfare of the key shareholders, who in this case are the customers.
• Customer values are just a measure of customer preferences whereby they change with time and the strategy incorporated in the company should be flexible enough to ensure that the changes which need to be made are reached without disturbing the operations in other department especially if the changes are concerned with one or some of the departments and not the entire organization. Therefore, the most essential way ensure that the airline has met the customer values and service satisfaction is through aligning the key aspects of the organization including the values, culture and the mission as well as vision and objectives towards focusing on customer values and satisfaction.
• 2.0 The steps that can be taken to ensure that the proposed partnership is a ‘listening organization
• 2.1 Examine the concept of a listening organisation
• A Listening organization is one that facilitates or supports an effective communication strategy to the customer. The partnership is supposed to adhere to the requirements and the expectation of the organization in terms of performance and achieving its objectives. The steps which need to be considered when forming the partnership include first analyzing and discussing on the agreements in relation to the needs that the organization requires the partnership to facilitate. For instance in this case, the major idea or the main agenda as to why the partnership is reached is due to the fact that airline seems to have reduced service in ground handling. The organization they are partnering with is ready to facilitate or provide the opportunity of ensuring that the staff of the airline can work and can participate in the ground handling services.

• 2.2 Compare the benefits of different methods of listening to customers

• Numerous methods are available which ensure that can be incorporated to support effective communication between the organization and the customers. For instance, the company can suggest of implementing a department that deals with the aspects involving customer satisfaction. The two companies need to discuss what need to be changed or what needs to be implemented in order to ensure that the partnership serves the purpose as to which it is formed. Through discussing the requirements or the expectation that the partnership is supposed to facilitate, the two organizations will check whether the required expectation is achievable and to what extend it can be achieved. The next step that both the companies need to discuss after identifying the goals is determining the framework of communication and support especially to facilitate improved communication with the customers.

• 2.3 Evaluate measures that can be used to analyse information collected about customer opinions and experiences

• The major aspect here is to ensure that the partnership facilitates a ‘listening’ organization. This implies that the organization should have an effective communication framework or network to its clients as well as amongst the members who work in the organization. Communication is facilitated through implementing an organization culture that ensures the organization is appropriately connected to all the stakeholders (Hernon & Altman, 2010, p.308). Therefore, the most essential strategy that can be employed in this case is through facilitating a link especially a customer care department that ensures that the customer are well catered for and that their complaints are sorted out in the most effective way. The two companies need to discuss the manner in which the customer care department can be implemented to connect the services provided and ensure that these services are offered in a streamlined manner to the customers. The information collected from the customer can be utilized through using it to make decisions in relation to what needs to be changed or improved.

• 2.4 Demonstrate the importance of customer and employee feedback for achieving organizational customer service vision

• The significance of feedback facilitated by both the customers and employees is that the management of the organization is in a position to understand the requirements of the two groups and the current performance of the organization as well the areas which need to be supported or improved. The customers for instance pinpoint the areas of weakness and propose the products or services that support their preferences. The other significance of the information provided by the customer or employees is that the management in this case applies it to implement a vision that focuses on achieving the customer demands and requirements.
• 3.0The options for development of customer driven processes (when necessary improvements have been identified in a continuous improvement culture)
• 3.1Consider how customer service strategy and objectives lead to the design of customer service processes
• Customer driven services can effectively be facilitated through the process of implementing or developing the service chain as well as internal customer relations. Service chain generally defines the manner in which the services will reach the customer form the company or organization. The service chain should be timely and effective enough to support multitasking of demands from different customers. Internal customer relation generally explains the manner in which the organization communicates with the customers to determine whether their requirements have been fully met. Internal customer relations are improved through supporting an organizational culture that supports the demand and requirements of the customers. Both internal customer relations and service chain link to the effective customer service processes through the organization culture.
• The customer feedback and organizational objectives also have impact on the design of customer service processes. The feedback facilitated for instance can be used either to bring the new aspects that the customers need which are not the organization currently or developing as well as improving the existing services. if the customer feedback is negative, the management have to work on improving the current strategies and check where the problem is in order to meet the requirements of the customers. Additionally, if the feedback from the customers credits the organization of the good work that it has performed and comment that the services provided are of high quality and fair prices, then the management just needs to check only if there would be any complain and work sustaining the level of quality that the customers commented that it was excellent.

• 3.2Analyze critically the contribution technology makes to the delivery of effective customer-driven processes

• Technology is also essential in ensuring that supporting the aspect of customer service process especially in collecting feedback and delivery of these services. In production for instance, the current technology supports automation and basing the fact that the business is in the service industry, technology can be incorporated to support service delivery through online booking of planes which serves as an aspect that reduces costs (Mohr, Sengupta & Slater, 2010, p.208). The different level of technology that can be incorporated in the airline company to support operations include transaction processing systems which can allow customers and the organization to perform transaction online usually facilitated by e-commerce sites. Customer relationship management systems are other systems which can be incorporated in the organization to ensure that the customer relation has been fully supported.
• The issue of technology in the organization however does not imply that customer service principles should not be observed since the technology can only work through the support of the major strategies in the organization. The service principles generally do not base on the support of technology but majorly on the organizational culture.

• 3.3Explain the importance of continuous improvement and service chains to organization customer service processes

• The reason for ensuring continuous improvement as well as service chains is due to the fact that the customer preferences keep on changing and the management of the company has to reach for the right strategy to ensure of flexibility in supporting these services. Service chains are essential since they ensure that the level of customer satisfaction is improved. Customer service processes require that the organization maintain continuous improvement in the strategies incorporated to include any changes that occur. Through partnering with external suppliers, the organization ensures that internal customer relation is supported since they make services available to the customers in different regions.
• 4.0The contribution that people development and empowerment can make to the success of the service partnership

• 4.1Examine critically approaches to people development in the context of customer service strategies

• People development include all aspects implemented in the organization in order to ensure that the members benefit from them through advancing their knowledge and skills in executing different tasks more effectively including training and mentoring programs. Training and learning need to be identified in the right manner in relevance to the field that the employee is based on in order to ensure that they acquire the appropriate skills needed in the department. The ways in which training and learning needs can be identified is through the management carrying out evaluation to determine the areas where the employees need to be guided or offered further training. It is essential to carryout constant employee evaluation in order to ensure that the training needs of the employees are identified to boost their skills through training and learning support. Dedicated customer service training has the benefit of proving the customers with the required support on how to access the services and use them effectively to their satisfaction. Building customer service training on the other hand ensures a strategy that continues to serve the customers in a manner that is more effective. The learning and training activities can be linked closely to the organization service strategy through identifying the requirements that need the training as well as determining the appropriate programs that need to be implemented in order to reach the set objective for the outcome of the learning or training program.

• 4.2Assess leadership actions which contribute to empowerment in customer service

• Empowerment of customer service essentially explains the aspect of leadership incorporating the appropriate strategies to depict their stand and support on customer service improvement. Empowerment generally facilitates the required morale to the employees on how they can improve on customer satisfaction. Leaders can demonstrate their support towards customer service empowerment through facilitating the requirements that are needed to support effective customer process. The leadership also needs to facilitate the required mentorship programs an career advancement programs in order to indicate their support towards customer service improvement process. This includes supporting ensuring that employees are facilitated with training and learning equipment. The management should also facilitate the support in terms of motivating the customers towards effectively accomplishing their tasks. The management of the organization also should facilitate the guidelines which are to be followed especially the standard operating procedures in order to ensure that customer service is facilitate as required and support the required customer satisfaction based on the services offered by the company. When a service if offered against the set procedures of operation in the firm, empowerment here works out to determine ensure that the customer who has received the poor service is given an apology and then the service may be re-offered back in the right manner. However, if this is not possible, the empowerment serves to ensure that such incidents do not happen.

• 4.3Show the connections between people development, empowerment, and customer service strategies

• Strategic objectives generally create the focus of the business on the aspects which need to be accomplished in order to ensure improved customer service. Strategic objectives also facilitate the direction in which empowerment needs to take place and the customer service strategies which need to be incorporated in order to ensure that the service offered to the customers is up to the required level of satisfaction. A learning organization is one that allows contributions from different members of the organization not necessarily from the senior members (Werner & Desimone, 2012, p.308). A learning organization has a greater impact towards the customer service strategy since in the case the employees contribute towards the aspects which they think need improvement. Both seniors and juniors in a learning organization also have the opportunity to have a clear understanding of the strategies incorporated to reach improved customer services and how to use them. Individual contribution towards customer service satisfaction includes development of personal goals and objectives which align with the implemented strategies and dealing with customers with a high level of courtesy. Individual should also indicate their willingness towards supporting implementation of effective strategies which support improved customer service.

4.4 Consider why empowerment is an important part of continuous improvement in customer service

• Continuous improvement in implementation of customer service strategy ensures that the requirements of the customers have been fully met based on their changing preferences. This also facilitates the revising of the strategy to ensure that any updates in technology have been supported to facilitate the required level of customer service. Continuous improvement strategy also supports the changes in the market positioning whereby the organization can focus on market segment that has more customers due to any changes of demographics. It ensures that the company has implemented the right strategy to deal with the requirements of a certain focus group. The management can incorporate different communication techniques to create awareness of customer service strategy. For instance, the management can utilize the use of brochures or magazines describing the manner in which it has supported customer service strategy and the expectations. The company can also use advertisement as well as orientation programs to ensure that the member understand the strategy. Customer service strategies should be presented in a persuasive manner to the stakeholders in order to woe them or seek their support out of their willingness not by force. This will ensure that whatever they do to contribute towards the strategy is something to be credited.
• 5.0The communication, recognition and reward actions that might contribute to the success of the proposed partnership

• 5.1 Explain how managers can use recognition and reward of staff to support customer service strategy

• Reward and recognition services to encourage the members of the organization especially the employee towards supporting the implemented changes. The system of reward and recognition is linked to customer service in that once the key stakeholders of the organization are reached, the customer service strategy can be supported as required by the stakeholders (Leland & Bailey, 2011, p.124). System rewards also function as a motivation towards the customers supporting the strategies being implemented. The limitation of using rewards and recognition is due to the fact that the members of the organization will not be in a position to support the customer service strategies without being motivated and once the rewards and recognition program is terminated. Giving the stakeholders rewards is just bribing them to support the strategy but they should do it free will.    

• 5.2Demonstrate how motivation and performance models and theories contribute to the achievement of customer service objectives

   
• Numerous motivation theories exist whereby equity theory is one of the most famous theories which support the fact that the organization needs to ensure that each member is treated equally. This theory is the most common in organizations (Keller, 2010, p.10). Incentive theory of motivation is another theory which falls under this category. Performance management models are greatly applied in supporting the development of the organization and they are essential to ensuring that the members of the organization are supportive of the incentives being implemented by the management to support improvements. Performance management and motivation are related in the fact that they are integrated and one cannot function without the help of the other. Motivation supports performance management in order to work out effectively.

• 5.3 Evaluate the options available to communicate with key stakeholders about customer service strategies

• Communication initially serves the purpose of providing the stakeholders with information about the progress of the management in supporting the implementation of key strategies to support improved customer service. Different methods of communication can be incorporated in supporting communication from the management to the stakeholders in passing information based on the strategies of customer service. Through the word of mouth which generally incorporates persuasion, the management can incorporate this method in order to woe the attention and the trust of the stakeholders in supporting the whole process. The other type of communication through social media or adverts whereby the stakeholders get the information about the progress of the management in implementing improved customer service strategies.
• References
• Drori, I., & Landau, D. 2011. Vision & Change in Institutional Entrepreneurship the Transformation from Science to Commercialization. New York, Berghahn Books, Inc. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=710965.
• Ferrell, O. C., & Hartline, M. D. 2014. Marketing strategy: text and cases. Mason, OH, South-Western/Cengage Learning.
• Hernon, P., & Altman, E. 2010. Assessing service quality: satisfying the expectations of library customers. Chicago, American Library Association.
• Leland, K., & Bailey, K. 2011. Customer Service For Dummies. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. http://www.SLQ.eblib.com.au/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=257050.
• Miller, F. R., & Miller, L. E. 2007. That's customer focus: the overworked and under-appreciated manager's guide to creating a customer-focused organization. Toronto, ON, Training Bank.
• Mohr, J. J., Sengupta, S., & Slater, S. F. 2010. Marketing of high-technology products and innovations. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall.
• Rhoades, A., & Covey, S. R. 2011. Built on Values Creating an Enviable Culture that Outperforms the Competition. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=644793.
• Werner, J. M., & Desimone, R. L. 2012. Human resource development. Mason, OH, South-Western.